Asphalt roofing may be the most common roofing material in the United States, but some homeowners want something more eye-catching. One of the most popular alternatives is replacing your old roof with a new cedar shake roof.
But what exactly is a cedar shake roof replacement? And what do you need to know about getting one?
For over 30 years, the team at Bill Ragan Roofing has provided transparent information to help homeowners make the right decisions. Because of this, I’ll break down what a cedar shake roof replacement is and much more.
This article covers the following:
- What is a cedar shake roof replacement?
- 5 things you need to know about getting a cedar shake roof replacement
What is a cedar shake roof replacement?
A cedar shake roof replacement is simply tearing off your old roofing materials down to the decking and installing new cedar shakes and other roofing components. Cedar shake shingles make up the bulk of the roof, but the other components are just as important.
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(Asphalt roof replaced with a cedar shake roof)
The other components that will be part of a cedar shake roof replacement are:
- Roof decking
- Flashing
- Underlayment
- Drip edge
- Ice and water shield
- Ridge capping
- Roof vents
- Pipe boots
These components and the cedar shakes come together like puzzle pieces to make your home watertight and completely sealed. That’s why each component mentioned above must be included in your cedar shake roof replacement.
5 things you need to know about getting a cedar shake roof replacement
Now you know what a cedar shake roof replacement is and the materials that’ll be replaced. However, this is just the beginning of understanding what you need to know before investing in one.
Below are the 5 things every homeowner needs to know about a cedar shake roof replacement.
1. The right climate maximizes a cedar shake roof replacement investment
No matter how much you want a cedar shake roof, your area needs the right climate to get the most out of it. This is because cedar shake shingles don’t last as long in very moist or dry climates.
In extreme heat, cedar dries out to the point that it splits or cracks. In a very humid climate, the shingles absorb and hold excess moisture, which shortens their lifespan.
That’s why your area needs to be somewhere between to make a cedar shake roof replacement worth it. Our area in Nashville, Tennessee, is great for it, but I recommend choosing another roofing material if you live in a very dry or humid climate.
2. Cedar shakes may not be readily available
Cedar shake shingles are made from cedar trees in the Northwest United States or Southwest Canada. They’re cut into 2-foot sections before hand splitting or sawing them into a tapered thickness (tapersawn).
Most cedar shake manufacturers and sawmills don’t keep stockpiles of shingles lying around. In fact, they’re usually made to order and cut based on the chosen style when placing the order.
This means cedar shakes may not be readily available when you first sign a contract for a cedar shake roof replacement. Depending on your location, it could take 3 to 8 weeks for them to be delivered.
3. A cedar shake roof replacement requires upgraded roofing components
For multiple reasons, a cedar shake roof replacement isn’t like a standard asphalt roof replacement. One of the biggest differences is that getting a cedar shake roof means upgrading certain components.
For example, an asphalt roof gets felt or synthetic underlayment over the decking. However, a cedar shake roof replacement should get high-heat ice and water shield as underlayment, which is much more expensive.
Another upgrade is installing metal flashing in valleys instead of ice and water shield because the wood can’t fold to form a watertight seal. These are just a couple of examples, but they show how premium roof systems, like cedar shake, require specific roofing components.
4. You must hire a roofer with cedar shake roofing installation experience
The most important thing you need to do when getting a cedar shake roof replacement is to hire a roofer with experience. I’m not talking about general roofing experience, but experience installing cedar shake roofs specifically.
It’s a very niche specialty that takes much more patience, skill, and attention to detail than asphalt shingles, making labor costs very high. That’s why many roofing companies won’t even offer services related to cedar shake roofing.
However, plenty of roofers claim they can do it and offer a lower price that’s too good to be true. To avoid this, do your research and ask to see previous cedar shake roofing projects.
5. A cedar shake roof replacement is usually a multi-day project
Most roof replacements can be completed in a day, depending on the roof and weather. With that in mind, a cedar shake roof replacement is almost always a multi-day project.
This is mainly because homes getting a cedar shake roof are usually bigger and have complex roofs. However, installing cedar shakes is also a very slow process.
Unlike asphalt shingles or metal panels, cedar shakes are installed one at a time and must be lined up correctly to prevent water penetration. There’s also cutting involved to fit the wood around things (penetrations, vents, etc.) and areas where they’re up against something.
To put all of this together and do it correctly, you should expect roofers on your property for multiple days.
What are the pros and cons of cedar shake roofing?
You just learned what a cedar shake roof replacement is and 5 things to know about getting one. At this point, you know general information about a cedar shake roof replacement.
However, nothing in this article will help you determine if cedar shake is the right roofing material for you. No matter how much you want it, just know that it won't be the right fit for the majority of homeowners.
So, how are you supposed to decide whether to go with a cedar shake roof or not? This all comes down to knowing the good and bad that comes with it.
That’s why I wrote another article breaking down the pros and cons of cedar shake roofing to give you the information needed to make the best decision.
Check out The Pros and Cons of Cedar Shake Roofing to learn if cedar shake is the right roofing material for you.
